Rainy Days
by XxXMorganXxXLEAHXxX
Summary: Lelouch Lamperouge hates the rain. All of his memories, from their beginning to their bitter end, began in the rain. Now, the rain brings up memories of the past that he thought was long dead, of a love he was certain he lost. But it is truly the end? Or will Suzaku Kururugi really come back for him? LuluXSuza
1. Prologue

**Rainy Days**

 **Prologue: Alone**

' _I-I wish we had never met.'_

It was the same as any other morning. The same routine. The same _boring_ routine. Sometimes he wanted to scream and yell. He wanted to run and run, until he finally made it all the way back to the Tokyo Settlement. He didn't want to be alone. But those were childish and immature thoughts. Those were the feelings of someone who cared. And he couldn't care anymore. No, he didn't care. It had been so long since he'd seen _him. 'It would have been better, if you had stayed away.'_

For a while, Lelouch Lamperouge continued to lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling and letting his thoughts wander. He knew he shouldn't do this, shouldn't think about _him._ But sometimes, the feeling just came onto him suddenly. It was almost paralyzing. It made him sick. Even though it had been over a year, it still hurt to think about those days. The feeling made it difficult to get out of bed. Maybe he shouldn't bother getting up…

Eventually, Lelouch crawled out of bed. He'd be late for college if he waited any longer. So, with a heavy heart, he went through his boring routine. He showered in water far too hot. He ate a bland breakfast of cereal and a banana. And he got his schoolbag ready for the day. All alone, in an empty home. The loneliness seemed to echo throughout, leaving this weight everywhere. The feeling was suffocating at times.

When he stepped outside, Lelouch realized it was raining. "I forgot it was in the forecast," he thought aloud, glancing up at the sky. It didn't look like the weather was going to break any time soon. A half smile formed on his face, a sad look in his violet eyes. _'I wish I had never realized… I just wish it had never rained that day.'_ That was always the connection; rainy days. That was when everything had started. He blamed the rain for bringing them together.

Shoulders hunching, his eyes downcast, Lelouch muttered, "I hate the rain." He started out into the dreary weather. _'It always reminds me of things I try so hard to forget.'_ He tried to ignore the feeling, tried walking through the cool drizzle. But the feeling of the cool water sliding down his cheeks, dampening his hair, it all stung. It was this painful feeling, pricking his skin, digging into his chest. The feeling brought tears to his eyes.

Eventually, he had to stop and turn towards to _his_ college. _'I wish I had never met you,'_ he thought again bitterly. After a while, he turned and started walking again. He knew this was ridiculous. The incident had been over a year and, still at times when it rained, he had to stop. He had to fight these feeligns, banish the painful memories all over again. This pain just never truly went away. Perhaps it never would.

' _If I had never met you, Suzaku Kururugi, then I never would have known this pain in my chest.'_

 **~A/N~**

 **So, I had been reading this online manga thing about SuzaXLulu and it just inspired this story inside me. I wrote it and I just wanted to share the beginning. These two just touch my heart, makes me believe there's happiness out there. Don't ask me why.**

 **Be patient, this is a major work in process. It'll probably go through massive editing several times. It won't all be sad either, I promise.**

 **R &R**

 **XmX**


	2. Chapter 1: In the Beginning

**Rainy Days**

 **Chapter One: In the Beginning**

 _March of 2014_

 _He remembered the first time they met clearly. He still couldn't believe how coincidental it was._

It was a dreary Wednesday. Already, Lelouch had had a bad day. It was worse still when Milly Ashford had kept him after class, demanding that he had to join the stupid Student Council. That made him late for his part-time job at the school. It was obvious his boss, Chibiki was getting fed up with the tardiness, even though Chibiki knew Milly Ashford was at fault for any tardiness. Now, it was almost six-thirty at night and it was raining. Lelouch was just lucky enough he'd remembered to bring his umbrella that day. It was the only thing that made the day a little better.

As soon as Lelouch spotted his house, he noticed someone crouched down underneath his awning. Brows furrowing, he made his way closer to his home. Wait, he knew that person… He could recognize that mop of messy brown curls anywhere. It was Kururugi, Suzaku Kururugi. What was he doing at his home?

They weren't overly close. They'd known each other very briefly when Lelouch was first brought to Area 11 as a bargaining chip and hostage of the Kururugi Household. Now, they were in the same class this Spring Semester. Yet, they hadn't said three words to each other. So, why would he be here at Lelouch's house? Even more importantly, how did he know his address?

Lelouch walked up to his house and stopped, just short of the awning. Then he asked, "Kururugi? What are you doing?"

Instantly, Suzaku's head snapped up, emerald eyes going wide. "Lamperouge? Is this your house…? _Ow!"_ Lelouch cocked his head to the side and finally noticed the bundle in the Japanese boy's arm.

"Is that a cat?"

Suzaku ducked his head and mumbled, "I found him abandoned, in the rain. I didn't want him to get wet, so I ducked under here… I didn't mean to intrude. I had no clue you lived here. I'm sorry."

"It's not a problem… but what are you going to do now?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about the cat. What are you going to do with him?"

"Oh, uh, I don't know." He chuckled nervously, his eyes shifting. "I don't think I can take him home."

"Then why did you grab him? You know you'd have to let him go back out into the wet eventually. That's just as cruel."

Suzaku shrugged. "I couldn't leave him out there. He just… I felt so bad for him." He looked back down at the cat in his arms. Lelouch studied the Japanese boy for a moment, contemplating.

After a moment of silence, he said, "Just wait here a moment," and turned to walk off.

"Where are you going?"

He looked over his shoulder and said, "I'm going to go talk to my landlord, see if I can keep the cat here until you find some other arrangements."

Suzaku looked mildly surprised. "You'd do that?"

Lelouch shrugged. "I don't see why not. I live alone at the moment, so the cat's unlikely to disturb anyone."

For a moment, Suzaku just looked at him, but then he gave Lelouch a bright smile and said, "Thanks, Lamperouge."

"No problem, Kururugi." Lelouch was taken aback. Since school had started, Lelouch had never seen him give someone such a smile. It was usually a plain, polite smile. That made it difficult to read him, with how polite and withdrawn he seemed to be. It was unnerving to have such an unreadable person in his presence.

It only took Lelouch a moment to talk to his landlord. As he thought, Celeste had no problem with the cat. All she told him was, "Just make sure it doesn't ruin the carpeting like the last owners." He figured she'd probably stop and check up on his place more frequently, just to make sure the cat wasn't ruining anything. _'Guess I'll have to keep the place more clean now,'_ he thought with a slight frown as he turned back towards his house. He could make out Suzaku's figure, still under the awning.

When he was in range, Lelouch told Suzaku, "I can keep the cat for the time being. Eventually, he'll have to leave, but for now it's fine…"

"Thank you again. I don't know what I would have done without your help."

Lelouch shifted on his feet, unsure what to say. That was when he took in Suzaku's appearance. "Oh, you're soaked. You should come in and get warmed up."

"Oh, I shouldn't bother you anymore than I already have."

"Don't worry about it. Come on." Lelouch started towards his door and unlocked it. He held it open for Suzaku, who reluctantly stepped inside. "It's just up the stairs." They made their way upstairs quietly, Suzaku still holding onto the cat. When they arrived at Lelouch's door, the Britannian unlocked it and opened the door. At that instant, Suzaku cursed and the cat jumped from his arms. He nursed his injured hand, which was now bleeding.

' _Great, now the furniture is going to smell like wet cat,'_ Lelouch thought when said cat jumped up onto the couch.

As if reading his mind, Suzaku mumbled, "Crap, I shouldn't have let him go… Sorry…"

"It's all right. I'll go grab the first-aid kit and a towel. You can sit down." Lelouch walked down the hall to the bathroom and grabbed both a bath towel and the first-aid kit. When he returned, Suzaku was still just standing there, looking uncomfortable. Lelouch waved with his hand to get the Japanese boy to sit at the kitchen table. Once he was settled in, Lelouch handed the brown-haired boy the towel, then told him, "Put your hand on the table." He pulled out some gauze, Peroxide*, and a sanitizing wipe. He placed a smaller towel under Suzaku's hand and then started wiping off the wound with a sanitizing wipe.

After a moment of silence, Lelouch commented, "Cats don't really seem to like you."

"I like cats… I guess the feeling isn't very mutual," he said, wincing slightly.

"This might hurt a bit," Lelouch warned before pouring the Peroxide onto the open wound. Suzaku barely flinched, staring at the wound as it started bubbling. "I'll take the cat into the vet in a couple days, make sure he has his vaccinations and everything. Then you can start looking for a new home for him."

"Just let me know how much it costs. I'll pay for it," Suzaku said, glancing up at the raven-haired boy. Their eyes met.

"I can cover it," he said, his eyes shifting from Suzaku's to the open wound. He dabbed at the leftover liquid, then put some anti-bacterial ointment on the wound, and started wrapping up his hand. "Make sure to clean this out at least twice a day. Cat wounds are notorious for infection."

"I'll make sure to take care of it," he promised, finally picking up the bath towel to rub the water out of his curly hair. It was sticking up at all odd angles and almost messier than usual. Once he was relatively dried off, Suzaku stood up and bowed to Lelouch. "I can't thank you enough for your hospitality."

"Really, it's nothing," he said, feeling uncomfortable by such formalities. He glanced at the window. "It's still pouring outside. You're welcome to stay longer if you feel like it. Or borrow my umbrella. I have a couple here."

"Oh, that's okay. I can just dash home. It's not that far."

"You can't just run out in the rain and get drenched. That's asking to catch a cold. Just take an umbrella and bring it back." Lelouch turned and grabbed the one he had been using before. He pressed it into Suzaku's hands and told him, "I'm sure you'll take good care of it."

The Japanese boy looked surprised by such a kind offer and gave Lelouch another warm smile. "I'll make sure it's in wonderful condition… I should probably head home before my father starts to worry."

"Okay." Lelouch grabbed a spare umbrella next to the door, since he needed to go to the pet store for cat food, and walked Suzaku down the stairs. The Japanese boy opened up the umbrella, thanked Lelouch once more, and then started off into the rain. He turned and waved slightly at Lelouch before disappearing around a corner.

Lelouch stood there for a moment, a little overwhelmed by everything that had happened in the last half hour, and then started off in the opposite direction. Thankfully, the pet store was only a few blocks away from his apartment. It shouldn't cost too much to get the cat some food and a few toys to stay entertained.

As expected, the food was cheap. He picked the healthiest one he could find, and it was just a five pound bag. The toys were a different matter. He hadn't realized there could be so many toys for one animal. There was mice, balls with bells, catnip, and there was even perches they could climb up on. He got the cat some mice, catnips, and a few other toys to play with, and then grabbed a small little bed the cat could sleep in. He snagged a collar on his way up to the checkout.

The rain had cleared up by the time he was done at the pet store, so it was a nicer walk back home. That helped improve his mood a bit, but it got much worse when he returned home. As soon as he opened his front door, he was greeted by a disaster. The cat had torn up a bunch of papers, clawed his schoolbag, and even scratched up the side of the couch. He sighed in frustration. This wasn't his day, not at all. If the cat stayed like this for the rest of the time he had it, he couldn't promise he wouldn't kill the thing.

The black cat walked up to Lelouch, as if in greeting. It cocked his head to the side and meowed, staring at him with his dark eyes. "You're going to need a name," he told the cat with a sigh. "And you're probably hungry. So let's start with that." The cat meowed again in response and followed Lelouch into the kitchen.

#

#

The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. While the cat ate, Lelouch started cleaning up the mess it had caused. The cat started following him everywhere. If he was sitting down, the cat curled up beside him and swatted at his pant leg until he started petting it. When he went to get food, the cat was underfoot. Even when he went to the bathroom, the cat sat outside the door and meowed occasionally until he came out. It was unusual to have a companion near Lelouch at all times, but as the night went along he found he didn't really mind. Even when he was reading the cat was a decent companion to sit beside. Later that night, Lelouch came across a character in one of his books that reminded him of the cat. Thus "Arthur" was decided. Even that night, Arthur curled up in bed with Lelouch to sleep.

Several days went by in a blur. Between school, the part time job, and now the cat, Lelouch felt pretty busy. He found he enjoyed having the cat around as a companion and Arthur didn't seem to mind being home alone during the day. He didn't destroy anything after the first night, except for the side of the poor couch.

Around the third day, Lelouch was on his way home. He was surprised when Suzaku suddenly came over to him at school. "Hey, Lelouch, how's the cat?" Suzaku asked, falling in step beside the raven-haired boy.

Lelouch shrugged. "Arthur's doing great."

A grin formed on Suzaku's face. "Arthur?"

"He needed a name. I couldn't keep calling him Cat."

Suzaku laughed, much to Lelouch's surprise. Involuntarily, a smile spread across his face. After a moment, the Japanese boy cleared his throat and asked, "Do you mind if I come over this evening? I just wanted to see Arthur and bring him a gift. It won't be too long…"

"I don't mind one bit. Stay as late as you'd like," Lelouch replied.

Suzaku smiled at Lelouch again, that unusual friendly smile he still wasn't used to. "Thanks so much. I'll be over in like half an hour? See you then!" Without another word, the Japanese boy spun around and sprinted off. Seeing that, Lelouch shook his head and smiled slightly. Suzaku really was something else.

As expected, Suzaku arrived just after half an hour. What Lelouch didn't suspect was the huge box he was hauling over his shoulder. It had started raining, so the box was damaged and Suzaku was soaked once again. Lelouch tugged the Japanese boy under his awning and scolded him for getting soaked. "What's the box for anyways?" he asked as they made their way upstairs.

"For Arthur of course. I didn't want him getting too bored when you're gone."

"I bought him some toys to play with," Lelouch told him defensively.

"Toys aren't going to be enough. He'll want to jump on furniture and scratch things up…" He fell silent as soon as they walked into Lelouch's home. "I see he's already enjoying the couch," Suzaku laughed, noticing the ruined ends.

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "I've been trying to keep him occupied with other toys, but he's developed this… _obsession_ with the couch ends."

"This should help a lot," Suzaku responded, setting the box down in the living room. "It's a cat tree!"

"… The box is huge. Just how big…?"

"I think it gets up to six feet tall. I'm not sure." He had a clueless smile on his face, seeming overly proud of himself. Lelouch couldn't help himself; he started laughing. Almost instantly, Suzaku started laughing with him too. "That was a little overboard, wasn't it?"

"Just a bit," Lelouch agreed. "You can set that down. Want some tea? Or something else to drink?"

"I'll just take some water. Where do you think this should be set up?"

"Just wherever. I don't think it matters much," Lelouch said as he went over for a glass. "Ice?"

"Yeah, thanks." The Japanese boy worked open the box, clearly focused on the task at hand. Lelouch got a glass filled with ice and water and turned back to the brunette. He paused, taking a moment to study the boy sitting in his living room. Arthur sat near him, clearly curious about Suzaku's actions. The Japanese boy picked up a feather toy and started playing with the cat. After about a minute of playing with the feather, Arthur got bored and decided to go after Suzaku's hand instead.

A smile spread across Lelouch's face. Suzaku really didn't seem so bad.

 **~A/N~**

 **Thanks for showing interest in the story! I've been struggling to write the story in the point that I actually liked the chapter, so sorry for the long wait!  
**

 **R &R**

 **XmX**


	3. Chapter 2: Torture

**Disclaimer: I have no rights to any of the songs displayed in this chapter, as awesome as they are.**

 **Chapter Two: Torture**

The last two weeks had been interesting to say the least. Lelouch was surprised how much he loved having the cat around his apartment. Even more, he couldn't believe how close Suzaku and he had been getting. He hadn't been sure they'd have much in common, but still, they connected. Suzaku may be a complete exercise freak, but if he asked Lelouch to go for a run, the Britannian found he didn't mind nearly killing himself to run with the Japanese boy. And Suzaku always returned the favor by playing chess with Lelouch at his house. While he didn't have much mental skills at this moment, Lelouch could tell he was improving with every game. They started talking in class together, between the lessons, or occasionally when Suzaku needed help on a question he didn't understand, and started hanging out more at Lelouch's house. Arthur had grown to only attacking Suzaku on an occasion, or when he held a toy in hand.

Unfortunately, this wasn't quite the great ending of the week that Lelouch had planned. He'd finished up his part-time job early tonight, for a simple reason he'd begun to detest. He had to take Arthur to the vet tonight, to get checked up. Then Suzaku could start finding the cat a home. The Japanese boy had been asking several times in the week, curious as to what Lelouch had planned for the cat. Lelouch hated to admit it, but he'd grown rather found of the little cat around the apartment, despite the fact Arthur couldn't seem to deter from the couch ends. Thankfully, the couches were his and not Celeste's.

When Lelouch returned home, he was pleasantly greeted by the little cat meowing at him and rubbing up against his legs. He leaned over and picked up Arthur, rubbing his ears and greeting the cat softly. "Sorry little guy, but you have to go into your little kennel," he told Arthur as they made their way over to the kitchen table. He'd sent the kennel up there that morning, already knowing what kind of struggle Arthur would put up.

Sure enough, as soon as Arthur spotted the kennel, the cat gave out a yowl and attempted to scratch himself out of Lelouch's arms. Thankfully, he expected this this time and kept his hands out of range. After a few minutes of struggling and getting scratched a few times when Arthur turned and attempted to escape his cage, Lelouch had him latched up and ready to go. The cat meowed sadly from the cage, staring up at the Britannian through the slots. Lelouch tried ignoring the stares, feeling a twinge of guilt for shoving Arthur like that in the cage. Still, it couldn't be helped.

They set out down the road, the cat meowing and eventually curling up in the cage. Lelouch thought the entire way to the vet. He'd grown overly fond of Arthur. Honestly, he didn't want to give the cat up. With how he and Celeste got along, it was possible he would be able to convince her to let him keep the cat. Then again… maybe it wasn't the right thing to force a cat to live with him. He wasn't home all the time like he should be. Between his part time job and school, he was running around constantly… With a sigh, he picked up the pace. The vet was just around the corner.

The receptionist greeted Lelouch warmly as soon as he stepped inside. He smiled politely at her and told her, "I called an appointment in yesterday for Arthur."

"Is he your cat, Mr… Lamperouge?" she asked while looking up the information.

"Just took him in actually," he replied, glancing around the office.

"Well, Arthur's checked in. The doctor should be out shortly," she told him with a bright smile.

"Oh, thank you." He walked over and sat down at the nearest bench. He glanced into Arthur's cage. The cat looked at him with a pitiful look and meowed once before shuffling around until his butt was facing straight to Lelouch. The Britannian couldn't help, but chuckle lightly at that. He poked Arthur through the cage. The only acknowledgement Arthur gave him was a flick of the tail.

The doctor called Lelouch just moments later. Lelouch walked over and shook the doctor's hand, who introduced himself as Dr. Patrick. "So, what is your little guy in for?" he asked as he opened up the door. Arthur launched himself out instantly and stretched out happily. After a moment, he looked up at Dr. Patrick and meowed.

"I just wanted to get him a good check-up. He was a stray that a friend of mine picked up. I offered to keep him for a bit. I didn't know if he had all his shots or not and I wanted to know whether or not I should get him fixed." Lelouch ran his hand across Arthur's back. The cat purred in response, arching his back.

"We'll take some blood samples and do some testing to see whether or not he's had his shot. I'll give him a physical as well, to make sure everything's okay." While the doctor started checking Arthur over, he continued, "Now, if you want to fix Arthur, now would be the perfect time. From the look of his teeth, he's a little over a year old. Doing this would keep him from spraying and marking around the house and any possibility of getting any other cats pregnant."

"When would we be able to do that?" While he didn't like the idea of chopping the poor cat's parts off, it seemed like it would be better in the long run. That way, no more strays could possibly be produced.

"Bring him in at the end of the week, it wouldn't take more than an hour to complete the procedure. You could take him home Saturday morning."

"Sounds perfect." After the physical, Dr. Patrick drew the blood and started running the tests. Lelouch waited around, petting Arthur while the tests were run. The cat reluctantly forgave Lelouch and curled up the in raven-haired boy's lap to be pet more. He purred quietly, dozing off while they waited.

Thankfully, the doctor had good news for Lelouch. "He's had a full run of rabies shots and seems to be up-to-date with his heartworm medication. He'll just need a few booster shots, which we can give him today. Otherwise, he should be healthy enough for the procedure on Friday, as long as you can bring him up."

"I'll bring him over on Friday at the same time, if that's all right?" Lelouch was relieved that Arthur was healthy.

"Perfect. Just let the receptionist know up front. I'd start Arthur up a new heart worm medication to be safe and just treat him for tick and fleas to make sure he doesn't catch any."

"I'll pick some up on my way out." When he attempted to put Arthur back in his cage, the cat gave a whole new struggle.

The vet started laughing almost instantly. "Arthur is nice enough, you don't need to put him in the cage. As long as you aren't worried about him running off."

"He loves being carried around," Lelouch told him. He closed the cage door and adjusted Arthur in his arms. The cat made himself comfortable and rested his head on Lelouch's forearm. They started out to the lobby. He picked up all the medication the doctor suggested and noticed a cat harness hanging near the dog leashes. After a moment, he picked up the harness and a leash and put Arthur on the ground. For a moment, the cat didn't seem too thrilled of the harness, but once he realized that he could actually walk around a bit, Arthur was content. So Lelouch paid for all of that and started back home, relieved he would never have to put Arthur in a cage again.

The way home was uneventful. Arthur dutifully stayed near Lelouch, only occasionally getting distracted by a bug or butterfly. When the cat spotted their home, he ran straight for it as if he'd seen the place over and over. They made their way up the stairs, but Lelouch stopped as soon as he saw someone was at his door.

Celeste, a dark haired woman of twenty-three, smiled and greeted, "Lelouch-kun, I wasn't sure when you would be getting home."

"Oh, would you like to come inside?" Lelouch asked, giving her an easy smile. She was one of the few people in Japan he trusted. She'd been kind enough to take Lelouch in after he'd been banished from Britannia, had housed him for several months, and eventually gave him a great deal on rent for his own apartment.

"That would be great. I was just coming by to check on things."

"I just had Arthur at the vet's," Lelouch told her as he unlocked the front door. He opened the door, letting her in first and kicked his shoes off next to the front door. He crouched to unlatch the harness around Arthur. The cat went to Celeste immediately, rubbing up against her. She laughed lightly and leaned over to run a hand across his back.

"He sure is a lovey cat."

"He loves everyone, except for Suzaku. Arthur and Suzaku just don't connect well." He noticed Celeste checking around the apartment, from the cat toys to the ruined ends of Lelouch's furniture.

"Does he do that to a lot of furniture?" she asked, nodding towards the couches.

"Only my two couches. He leaves everything else alone. Would you like some tea?"

"That would be great," she said with a nod. They both stood up and started towards the kitchen. "I love to see that you can take care of an apartment. Several of my other tenants ruined the place. You have no idea how many times I've cleaned this place up."

"Well, I appreciate the great deal you've given me. I would never have survived with a full month's rent." He put the kettle onto the stove and got the cups and tea bags ready.

"Your sister is very persuasive, even only being eleven."

"She sure is." He smiled sadly at the thought of his sandy blond sister, and asked, "Have you heard from her and Rolo?"

Celeste nodded. "That was the main reason I was here. She sent me word that they should both be here within the month."

"That's wonderful. Let her know I'll be looking forward to the visit."

The kettle started whistling. Lelouch turned off the stove and carefully poured the hot water. When he came to the kitchen table with both cups, Celeste finally asked, "So what's the plan with Arthur?"

Lelouch hesitated, carefully sipping at the hot tea to buy himself a moment. "I guess he'll probably be going to a new home within the next week."

She giggled, sipping at the tea. "You've grown very attached to him, haven't you?"

Arthur came over, as if he could hear that he was being talked about, and started rubbing on Lelouch's leg. Reluctantly, he admitted, "It's a great change from such a quiet home."

"I thought as much. Have you changed your mind about giving him up?"

"… I've been thinking about it. I wanted to keep him, but I know your policy…"

"Policies change."

Before he could reply, there was a knock on the front door. "Excuse me," Lelouch said, pushing back from the table and going to the front door. He opened it up, startled by the group of people suddenly there. "What are you doing here, Milly?" he asked, already knowing the blond was up to something.

She grinned cheekily. "You never spend any time with people outside of school, so I'm kidnapping you!"

Celeste came over at that point, smiling. "I'm guessing you're the famous Milly Ashford I've been hearing about," she said, offering her hand.

Milly took it with a grin and said, "I'm sure Lulu-kun here has told you all the horror stories."

"He certainly has. Well, Lelouch-kun, I'll be heading out. Thank you for the tea. As for our last discussion, if you want to keep him around, be my guest. I trust you," she added with a wink. She said goodbye to the rest of the people surrounding Lelouch's apartment and headed off down the stairs.

Milly turned back to Lelouch with that same sinister grin and said, "Now, come on Lelouch, you're coming out with us whether you want to or not!"

The Britannian sighed, studying the group around him. Milly had drug several people he recognized into this group, consisting of Shirley Finette, Rivalz Cardemonde, Gino Weinberg, Kallen Kozuki, Anya Alstreim, and a few others Lelouch didn't know. Eventually, he said, "Fine, come inside. I need to change before we head out."

"I knew you'd see my way! None of us see you outside of school, you're such a loner," Milly said with a giggle. They all started inside, Lelouch heading towards his room. "Oh, and we're going to kidnap that Kururugi kid you've been hanging out with too," she called after him. Lelouch paused, looking back towards Milly.

"How do you even know where he lives?" he asked, slightly surprised. Suzaku had never even told Lelouch where he lived.

"I have my connections."

Lelouch rolled his eyes. That meant the blond had just looked it up at the school. She was the headmaster's granddaughter, she had those kind of connections after all. He continued down the hall towards his room, already contemplating what he was going to wear. He settled on a simple outfit, a black T-shirt, dark jeans, and basic sneakers. He'd carry a sweatshirt with, just in case they stayed out late. After a moment, he decided to pull back part of his hair at the nape of his neck, leaving only his side bangs hanging.

When he walked back out, the group was lounging around on his couch, discussing what to do for the evening. He heard Milly say, "We should do some mini putt, then go for karaoke*!" as he walked out.

"That sounds great!" Shirley agreed, smiling brightly. "Oh, Lulu! What do you think about the plans?" They all turned to the raven-haired boy. He shrugged.

"Doesn't matter to me. Sounds fine."

"You're such a bummer," Milly pouted. "You gotta be happier sometimes! Well, we should get going and grab Kururugi. At least then we'll see bummer pants smile a bit." She winked at Lelouch as she stood up, a mysterious smile on her face. What was she on about now?

He didn't worry about it too much when they left his apartment. He was more curious about where exactly Suzaku lived. He'd never felt he could ask the Japanese boy about his house, as it seemed like a strange topic. Considering that Suzaku was from the Ancient Kururugi Family. His father was currently the Prime Minister of Japan.

He ended up talking with Rivalz quite a bit on the walk through the Tokyo Settlement. They had a bit in common, mostly to do with gambling and a few video games as well. Shirley jumped in and out of conversation between Milly and Kallen and Rivalz and Lelouch. Gino jumped in occasionally when he wasn't talking with Anya and Kimiko, one of the people Lelouch hadn't quite been introduced. He learned that the others were Haiko, Hakan, Ryenne, and Rhine. They all seemed nice enough, though Ryenne seemed a little more interested in what Rivalz was saying than what Lelouch did. He didn't mind, he was used to being more of a loner. He was far too particular with who he hung out with to make a lot of close friends.

When they reached the edge of the Tokyo Settlement, out towards the countryside, Lelouch finally spotted the Kururugi sigil. Almost instantly, he noticed several people outside, two young children as well as Suzaku, who seemed to be playing with the kids, and also who Lelouch assumed to be his parents. Faintly, he noticed a large traditional Japanese house in the background. Genbu Kururugi noticed them almost instantly, and ushered Suzaku's attention towards the large group. He turned to say something to his parents and then jogged down to meet the group. Lelouch noticed the puzzled look on his face instantly as he took in the group, then he spotted Lelouch. A smile broke out on his face instantly and he said, "Hey Lelouch, Milly, Shirley… and I'm not sure who else," he finished with a slight chuckle, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"We're coming to kidnap you," Milly said, throwing an arm over Suzaku's shoulder. "Lelouch-kun needs someone around that he can smile with and be less of a bummer. And you need to socialize more too. You're both such loners."

Suzaku met Lelouch's eye again and smiled. "Sure, I could use some time away from the house. Let me go tell my dad about the plans. When should we be home?"

"Late," Milly said. "Possibly all night. Just tell them you'll stay at Lulu's house."

"Stop calling me Lulu," Lelouch said, glaring at the blond. She knew how much he hated that nickname. It was Shirley's fault for starting it.

"Sounds good. Be right back." He ran up towards the house real fast. The others of the group turned and started talking between themselves, but Lelouch focused on what was going on with the Kururugi's. From the looks of it, Genbu didn't seem fond of what was going on. For a moment, Lelouch thought a fight would break out, but then Suzaku waved at them and started back down towards everyone.

As soon as Milly realized Suzaku was back, she led the group on. Lelouch didn't want to seem like he was too eager to talk with the Japanese boy, as that was just embarrassing, but Suzaku surprised him by coming right over to him and asking, "So are these the people you usually hang out with?"

"Milly usually does this every month. She rounds up a bunch of people and then drags me to these ridiculous plans to try to 'socialize' me. I barely know anybody here."

Suzaku couldn't help, but grin. "Well, this seems like fun to me. I wouldn't mind doing this once a month."

"I'll remember that the next time she pulls me out of bed at 1 AM to do a karaoke night at her house," he said dryly. The Japanese boy laughed lightly, glancing around the group.

"So, who all is here?" Lelouch took the time to introduce everyone to Suzaku. He returned the greeting politely. As soon as Rivalz and Gino started chatting the Japanese boy up, he started warming up to the group. With Suzaku, the group of people seemed much more enjoyable…

#

#

The evening sure had turned interesting. Mini putting turned into quite the competitive sport, it was the one thing that really starting connecting Lelouch to the rest of the group. At first, Suzaku was still a little anxious around the group, but he started to warm up the longer everyone hung out. It wasn't until Milly drug them to her favorite karaoke place that Suzaku really settled down. They sat in the small room, surrounding the table full of snack foods while Shirley took her turn singing. Suzaku leaned into Lelouch and asked him, "Does Milly expect all of us to sing tonight?" So far, both he and Suzaku had managed to avoid the embarrassment of singing ridiculous songs.

"I doubt she'll force you to this time, but it's only a matter of time for me," Lelouch sighed, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning back in the booth. He glanced over at Milly, who was still talking with Rivalz. The blond, seeming to sense his gaze, looked over at Lelouch and winked at him.

For a moment, both boys were quiet. "…So did you and Milly ever have a relationship?" Suzaku asked eventually, his gaze flickering over to Lelouch.

Lelouch scoffed. "Definitely not. You couldn't pay me enough money."

He almost missed the relieved look on Suzaku's face. "I couldn't tell, you guys seem really close."

"She's like the annoying sister I would never wish on anyone. We've known each other for since we were young, but I'd just moved back here about a year and a half ago."

"Oh, why did you decide to move from Britannia?"

Lelouch tensed, looking over at Suzaku's curious face. He hesitated a moment and that gave Milly the chance to suddenly chirp up, "Lelouch! You should sing your song now" just as Shirley finished her song. The blond came over and plopped next to the raven haired boy.

He glared at her. "Are you really going to make me sing again?"  
"Your voice is my favorite! Come on, please." She gave him the best puppy dog look.

"Why don't you just record it so I don't have to keep doing this?"

"I already did. But the in-person voice is so much better. Just three minutes, now go on." Milly climbed over him so she was between him and Suzaku and continued to push him until he was out of the booth.

"Go have fun, Lulu!" Gino called jokingly, relaxed between Kimiko and Rhine.

Rivalz and Haiko cheered the Britannian on. He promptly threw a stray paper plate at them both (missing them terribly) and reluctantly walked up to the karaoke machine. "Oh, sing _Kiss from a Rose_!" Ryenne called, laughing.

"Oh, that's a great idea!" Milly agreed, shoving her way out of the booth to reach the machine before Lelouch could choose a song. She budged him out of the way and quickly chose the song. She stuck her tongue out on the way back to her seat and snuggled up against Suzaku with a smirk. The Japanese boy seemed shocked by her actions and, when she leaned in to whisper something in his ear, he flushed a dark red.

The music started playing and, from a threatening look from Milly, Lelouch reluctantly picked up the mic and took a deep breath. Then the lyrics appeared on the screen.

" _There used to be a greying tower alone on the sea_

 _You became the light on the dark side of me_

 _Love remained a drug that's the high and not the pill_

 _But did you know, that when it snows_

 _My eyes become large and the light that you shine can be seen?"_ As he started into the song, Lelouch became lost in the world of song. He swayed with the music, following the tune and keeping his tone a low sexy. As much as he hated to do it now, when he sung, Lelouch couldn't help, but get lost in the music. He used to love the music, but when his father refused to let his son sing…

The last of the lyrics stopped, until it was just the instrumental background. All of these so called friends were staring at him in a mixture of awe and surprise. Suzaku seemed most surprised, staring at the Britannian with a new light. Milly was the first one to stand and clap, smiling brightly. "I love it when you sing Lulu! I wish you would do it more often," she said with a sigh, stepping away from the booth.

"You're not getting out of this, witch," he said with a warning, already over and picking the song.

"Yeah, yeah, you always pick something embarrassing," she said with a wave of her hand, "Last week it was that Japanese song where I couldn't even pronounce half the words." She started up towards the little stage.

"It won't be like that this time," he said, stepping back and handing her the mic. As the song started playing, she smirked.

"Oh, you're so much fun," she said, already turning her back to the crowd and putting her hand on one hip. As soon as her lyrics started, she turned her head to them. " _Boys call you sexy and you don't care what they say. See, every time you turn around they screaming your name."_ She certainly were going to give them all a show, dance and all.

Lelouch settled back into the booth beside Suzaku, pulling out his phone and setting it up on the table so he could videotape her little performance. Suzaku couldn't help, but start chuckling. "You guys certainly have an interesting friendship," he said real softly, not wanting to ruin the video.

"Oh, she deserves this and more," he replied, just as quiet.

The night went on, between Milly forcing everyone to sing, even poor Suzaku, who got the _Sexy Back_ everyone had been wanting someone to sing terribly. Feeling bad for him, Gino promptly got up to "help" Suzaku out, making him do a ridiculous dance and all. Milly recorded this performance happily beside Lelouch, giggling about the silliness of it.

"This is cruel to make him do the first night with us," Lelouch said, a small grin on his face.

"Oh, he's enjoying it. Look at that look on his face; he'll want to spend every week doing this with us," Milly joked, leaning back beside Lelouch. "He sure is a cute one. I'm surprised I didn't notice him earlier this year."

"He's a pretty quiet guy."

"So, you with him?"

Lelouch nearly choked on the juice he was drinking, coughing and trying to ignore the strange looks Shirley and Rivalz were giving him. "What made you possibly think that?" he asked, coughing slightly.

Milly looked puzzled. "Well, you're into guys aren't you? That's why your Father disowned you and banned you from Britannia. I just assumed, by the way you two were acting…"

"No, not at all," he said hastily, as the song was finishing. The door to their karaoke room opened. It was the owner, letting them know they were closing up in fifteen. With a sigh, Milly called everyone to order to start cleaning up the place before they left. Lelouch couldn't believe it was already almost ten PM.

Thankfully, they didn't all walk home together. After exiting the shop, they all disbanded in opposite directions, Milly and Rivalz towards the same district, Haiko and Ryenne going back home to the same house, and Gino, Kimiko, and Rhine going back in a similar direction. Suzaku and Lelouch were left to go back alone. "So, I'm thinking maybe I should head home," the Japanese boy said hesitantly after a moment.

"It's pretty late to head out back to the country. Besides, I'm sure Arthur would love to see you again. You haven't stopped over yet this week," Lelouch dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Besides, it would be nice to make breakfast for someone besides myself and a cat." He flushed suddenly, wondering if that was as embarrassing to hear as it was to say that. It made him sound like he was a lone cat person wanting to make breakfast for someone like they were dating…

Still, he was surprised when Suzaku laughed and said, "I guess I can't argue with that. Do you at least cook well?" And with that, they were off to Lelouch's house, talking about Lelouch's cooking skills and what would be a good breakfast. Lelouch was extremely relieved that Suzaku didn't seem to think it was strange at all what he'd said. So far, the Japanese boy didn't have a clue that he was gay and he hoped that he never found out. He enjoyed having his friendship.

 **~A/N~**

 ***For those of you who don't know, karaoke in Japan is supposed to be a more private place for friends to be able to enjoy singing with their friends**

 **Yeah, yeah, cliche singing Karaoke. I could just see Milly doing this as a great joke. Hopefully, this chapter was good! I couldn't seem to stop writing, so I enjoyed this chapter greatly. Hopefully it read just as good!**

 **R &R**

 **XmX**


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